Too long on your trail

I have been reading with great interest the many comments on social media that were made in response to a recent post by Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders. She makes the unusual request of fans who have been following her tour, attending multiple shows, to please move out of the front row in order to give local fans a chance.

“The whole point of it (a tour) for the band is that we are playing to a different audience every night……This is what keeps it new for us…especially after being on tour for so many months.”, she writes.

The response seems to be mostly of outrage. – The ungrateful audacity! How could an artist disrespect her loyal followers like this?! These are fans who spend large amounts of money on travel, accommodation and tickets, and give up large amounts of their time to follow the tour and support the artist.

On the other hand, others argue that these ‘superfans’ are hogging the front row at multiple shows, and it’s time they moved back to allow others to have that experience.

I have sympathy with both sides of the argument here, and have thus far refrained from any comment. But watching the debate unfold has been fascinating, and I rather wish I’d followed my initial instinct to acquire a large bowl of popcorn as soon as the controversial post came to my attention.

In some regards, Chrissie Hynde’s request seems to make sense. The whole concept of a tour is indeed for bands to take their music to different audiences around the country, or even around the world. In this respect, Chrissie Hynde’s expectation to play to different fans each night would seem perfectly reasonable. What’s more, she has indicated that as an artist, this is something that is important to her.

The artist is a human being, not a performing monkey, or a material commodity that can be bought. And different artists have different needs when it comes to being able to give their best when on stage. Could Chrissie Hynde’s loyal followers therefore not simply respect her wishes?

The problem here, of course, is that ‘superfans’ are so called for a reason. They are passionate about the artist they follow, and being at the front of the show is really important to them. It is the front row where eye contact happens, where an unobstructed view allows them to get completely immersed in the experience of being so close to the artist they so much admire. To ask them to voluntarily move back from the front is a very big ask.

What’s more, The Pretenders have been playing at seated venues, with assigned seats, so it would seem a reasonable expectation for fans to be able to occupy said seats. Fans argue that they have taken the trouble to be the first to grab seats when tickets go on sale, and to pay, particularly in the US, often very high prices for the privilege of being on the front row. Local fans have the same opportunity to buy these seats if they so choose, right?

But here’s what Chrissie Hynde may have noticed. Why is it that it’s always the same fans occupying these seats? How are they always able to get their hands on these coveted and limited front row seats? One reason could be that local fans may not necessarily be following the artist’s every move. They may not become aware of tour dates until they happen to see a poster in their town, or see a listing in the local news, by which time the best seats are long gone. Superfans, on the other hand, will be aware the instant a tour is announced, and will be well prepared for ticket sale day, often teaming up with other superfans to grab those front row seats and distribute them amongst themselves. Then there’s always the practice of ‘upgrading’, where fans who initially miss out on front row will keep a look out for any that subsequently become available, ready to pounce, simply selling on their original, inferior seat. Chances of success are of course greatly increased when you’re part of a group. So, do local fans really have the same chance? I think not.

Even more disingenuous are the claims that local fans have an equal chance of reaching the barrier at general admission shows. Chrissie Hynde’s post, although referring to seated venues, has of course sparked much social media debate on this topic too. Superfans argue you just have to earn your spot on the barrier by putting in the hours queuing. Many camp out overnight to secure their spots. Their system is fair, they insist. Is it really? Let’s be honest here.

How many local fans are made aware when the queue is starting, and thus given an equal opportunity to join it if they wish? Superfans make friends with each other, messages are circulated between friends, chat groups are formed, private Facebook groups are set up. ‘We’re all just looking out for each other’, they say. But who’s looking out for the poor local fan who might not have the means or opportunity to travel, who may have waited years for this one chance to see their favourite artist?

I always feel for these local fans who arrive with breathless anticipation a few hours before doors at Morrissey shows, thinking they have a chance, when the reality is wildly different. I’ve seen uninformed fans arrive in the early hours of the morning only to find they’re too late to even be added to The List of queuers. I’ve heard them referred to in contemptuous tones as ‘The Casuals’, as if they are somehow inferior and less deserving of a spot at the front, simply because they’re not privileged enough to be able to travel to multiple shows. I’ve been told to stop telling these people about The List. At Morrissey’s recent Vegas shows, The List for the second night was written before the first show had even started. I’m guessing it didn’t include any ‘casuals’.

But then, can you blame us? With help from the tour manager in ensuring The List enter the venue first, it would seem Morrissey doesn’t share Chrissie Hynde’s wish to see new faces each night. On the contrary, he seems to thrive on the familiarity of the front row diehards. I’m sure there are plenty of other artists who feel the same.

But Chrissie Hynde is entitled to her own feelings on the matter. I’m just not sure how she can possibly go about changing things. There have been reports of superfans being moved from their front row seats at recent Pretenders shows, but I very much doubt this has been a popular move. Some have suggested that Chrissie Hynde follows Billy Joel’s example, keeping front row seats out of the ticket sales, and bringing fans from further back to fill them on the night. Billy Joel’s reasoning, however, was not so much to banish superfans from the front, but to banish the superrich. Although he keeps ticket prices down, the front row tickets are often bought by scalpers, who sell them on at extortionate prices to those who can afford to pay, killing the atmosphere at the front, while the real fans languish further back, he says.

So you see, there is no way. Superfans are about as easy to keep back as hot lava. Ticket prices are getting out of hand, and with companies like Ticketmaster introducing dynamic pricing and allowing eye wateringly priced resales, the local fan is very much up against it.

I wish Chrissie Hynde well in her desire to give more local fans a chance, but I fear it will take more than a polite request to her superfans before anything really changes.